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I enjoyed this third Red Princess book even more than the first two in the series. I'll certainly miss the gutsy, stubborn Liu Hulan and her lovely husband David! Unique and very interesting trilogy; more novels than murder mysteries and I learned much about China, its culture and history.
The back cover promsies "an extraordinarily rich novel" in which "myth mixes treacherously with truth." And, indeed, this is what See delivers. As a reader, you really feel the setting. See avoids easy political shots, taking a more nuanced (and interesting) approach than some might. The murder & mayhem got nasty, but the details are presented as they must be to move the story along, without sliding into the pornography of violence that is common in many thrillers/mysteries; this was a welcome t...
As with every single book of hers that I have read this is a compelling and exciting one to read. Lisa See's gift for painting indelible pictures of a country and people of such mystery to me is a true talent. "On Gold Mountain" was the first of her books I ever read and from the first page she had me hooked. I think I have now finally read everything of hers that is published and just cannot wait for what she writes next.
I've always loved early Chinese culture, and adore many of the more popular "current" novels. (The Good Earth Trilogy, Amy Tan's books,) but I've just discovered Lisa See, and I have to say that her books are phenomenal. Ive been doing a lot of in depth study on the practice of footbinding, and it's development as a perception of beauty in Chinese tradition. You can actually find current photos of footbound women, since the practice continued despite government protest, in the mountainous region...
This book was really more like 3.5 stars. After reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I was not expecting a detective/mystery story. That is what Dragon Bones is--a mystery book with Chinese history, politics, and legends woven in. At times, it was a bit boring, but at other times, it flew right through interesting sections without going into enough detail. Although some of the book was predictable, I think the rest was written well enough where you weren't 100% sure which way things would go....
This is the third in a set of mysteries that Lisa See wrote. Every book I have read of hers has been excellent. This follows Liu Hulan in China as an Inspector solving a murder case. This also follows Hulan's personal life with her marriage to an American attorney. I learn so much about China from See's books.
I have previously read the first of the Red Princess Mysteries, and was not overly thrilled. Somehow, I’ve missed book two. So I started this third book with misgiving which were quickly blown away. Set in the early 2000’s, the book followed the building of the world’s largest dam in China which would also destroy cultural geographical landmarks and archeology digs. Well worth reading for the history and for the mystery.